Poppies of a War-Torn Field (V2)
by McNerdybird
Summary: The Second Wizarding War is over. Voldemort has been defeated. Now, the survivors must pick up the pieces and attempt to return to normality. Follow Harry as he tries to get his head around the war, and his actions and decisions afterwards. Canon compliant. Updates every Friday. End of Deathly Hallows - end of summer 1998.


Despite the beauty of the orange, setting sun glittering enticingly off the rippling Black Lake, contrasting with the quickly darkening sky, Harry Potter was taking none of his surroundings in. The chilly wind that tussled his already tussled jet-black hair didn't even make him shiver. Despite the few hours of sleep he had managed to grasp since the battle, Harry was still racked with tiredness. After his brief talk with Dumbledore, Harry had retreated up to his old dorm to rest and everyone had seemed decent enough to give him space; he did not speak to anyone but Kreacher who had gladly brought him a sandwich. When he awoke later in the day, he had slipped past the boisterous celebrations that were taking place in the Great Hall to clear his head by the lake.

But Harry was drowning in the melancholy thoughts that flooded his head; particularly those about the friends he had lost and the people who had given their lives: Colin, Tonks, Fred and Remus Lupin just to name a few. And then there was the niggling part of his head that told him their deaths were on his hands. _You should have given yourself to Voldemort earlier,_ it told him. _You are responsible. Haven't you always relied on others giving themselves up for you?_ Maybe, if he had been quicker they would not have died, Dennis Creevey would not be without a brother, and Teddy Lupin would not be without parents. Tears rolled down his face as he thought of the poor child growing up without his parents and how sad he had been growing up with the same situation.

Harry shook his head knowing it was not wise to dwell on these ideas. They would eat him up. He thought about what Dumbledore had said about pitying the living and knew that he had to remain strong for his friends and the Weasleys. Fresh tears flowed down his face at the thought of the Weasley family, his family in all but blood, who were now missing a member. He buried his head in his hands and the overwhelming feeling of sorrow smothered him, as he felt the gaping loss that Ron, Ginny, George and the rest of the family must be feeling right this moment. He knew they, at least, were not taking part in the celebrations. Harry mentally dedicated himself to comforting his friends and looking after baby Teddy, the orphan. Whilst, these thoughts wrestled with themselves like the wind around him, his on-edge senses detected the approach of footfalls. They were familiar.

Someone sat down next to him, and looked out over the lake. His suspicions were confirmed as a pleasant, flowery scent tickled his nose and he glanced over at Ginny. She continued to stare off into the distance, and Harry noted the orange light reflecting of her wet but warm chocolate brown eyes. Tear trails tracked down muddy, bruised cheeks, her clothes were torn and her hair, as red as the sunset before them, was matted with blood, but she still looked as beautiful as ever to him. He hadn't realised he was cold until Ginny's presence had warmed his body. He imagined the sorrow she must be experiencing and felt a sudden compulsion to grab her tightly and take her off to some hot beach somewhere. He wanted nothing more than to see her smile again. She didn't deserve this, none of them did.

Silently, Ginny shuffled closer to him before finally resting her head on his shoulder. Harry tentatively put an arm around her. He didn't know quite where they were but he did know this was the wrong time to discuss it, so he contented himself with letting her know he was there for her. He felt Ginny's body shake slightly as she sobbed quietly into him, so he rubbed her back even as he joined her in crying. "How- how do you get through it?" she mumbled, finally looking him in the eyes. "Losing someone."

Harry sighed shakily, ever-present thoughts of his parents and Sirius racing to the forefront of his mind to join the fresh memories. "You don't really," he concluded, his voice croaky from neglect. "But it does get better. You just have to remember that they are never truly gone." Ginny went back to resting her head on his shoulder. She had been through so much, Harry realised heavily. It took a lot to reduce a witch as strong as Ginny to such a state. He made a mental note to ask her about what had happened at Hogwarts at a better time. "Ginny, I'm...I'm so sorry about F-Fred. I know it was my-"

"Don't you dare say it was your fault!" Ginny snapped, eyes flashing dangerously. "None of this was your fault and you know it. Everyone knows it." She nodded her head towards the castle. "You know what they are doing in there?" She demanded. Tactically, Harry remained silent so as not to accidentally incur her wrath. "They are celebrating the end of this war...and you. You are their hero! And my hero..." She finished softly, once again staring over the lake. She frowned. "Merlin, I sound corny," she scoffed.

"You sound brilliant to me." A small, smile briefly flickered on her lips but then it was gone again. "...You should probably get back to your family. They must want you." Ginny stood up to leave, but lowered a hand to Harry.

"Come with me?" she begged, with forlorn, enticing eyes. Harry hesitated but soon gave in and reluctantly pulled himself to his feet. He knew it would help Ginny.

A hush descended over the rather crowded Great Hall, as Harry Potter entered the room. At first, no one had noticed and Harry had believed he had gotten away with it but all it took was one person shouting out his name for the whole hall to turn to him with baited breath. He awkwardly stared back, waiting for someone to make a move. For a horrible moment, Harry imagined them advancing on him and blaming him for the atrocities that took place. _Why had he thought this would be a good idea?_ Then he felt Ginny back against him, as she had been trying to shield him from view before they were discovered and he realised that she might never forgive him if he ran now.

Then Seamus raised a glass of Firewhiskey, with Dean grinning beside him and broke the silence. "Nice one Harry," he said. The silence having finally been broken, many of the crowd went back to their activities but some pressed towards him. Harry noticed some of them holding cameras and quills; reporters. Not what he wanted to deal with right now. Harry was rescued by a large figure stepping in front of the crowd and stopping them in their tracks. "Back off now, will ya," Hagrid demanded, waving his arms to force the crowd back. "Leave 'im be." Begrudgingly the crowd retreated, eying Hagrid's massive tree-branch arms warily.

Once they had gone, the half-giant turned and bent over to appraise Harry at his own level. Harry noticed that his first real friend's face was still red and puffy, whether from fighting or grieving it was hard to tell. Probably both. "Yeh alrigh' 'arry?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Hagrid," Harry replied hastily. "You?"

"Me? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine 'arry. Jus' a bi' emotional is all," Hagrid sniffed, pulling a large, flowery handkerchief out of his pocket and wiping the corner of an eye. "Yeh ok, Ginny?" Hagrid gave her a small smile, which she returned.

"I'm not hurt," she replied in a quiet voice. "Thanks for asking."

Hagrid hit his own forehead in a display of sudden realisation with a force that probably would have knocked Harry over. "But yeh would probably be wantin' to go see ya family, wouldn' ya. I'll jus' get out of ya hair then." And with that Hagrid sauntered off to talk to Professor Slughorn.

Harry felt Ginny tugging him gently over to a corner of the room, where a group of redheads were huddled. As the pair approached Mrs Weasley looked up from her husbands' arms and noticed them approaching. "Harry, my dear," she crooned, crushing him in a hug. "Are you alright? No bad injuries?" She added, holding him at arms lengths and examining him motherly, despite slight wobbles in her voice. Once again, Harry felt the looming shadow of guilt over him.

"No, I'm fine, honestly Mrs Weasley," Harry assured her, hoping she didn't see him wince when she had hugged him.

"Well, we'll have Poppy check you out anyway."

"There's no need for that-"

"Nonsense Harry," Mrs Weasley said. "She's seen just about everyone else who fought, including Ron and Hermione, who were just as stubborn as you." Harry noticed Ron and Hermione over Mrs Weasley's shoulders; Hermione was rubbing Ron's shoulders as he hunched over, as if they had become a couple. Harry wondered when that had happened, and a smile almost escaped him. "You look very underfed. What you lot were eating, I don't know? And your clothes are falling apart. We're going to have to get you home and fed."

"Home? You mean-"

"Yes, of course you are going to stay with us. What did you think, that we'd leave you to fend for yourself?" Mrs Weasley lightly scolded, hands on her hips. "You are staying as long as you like and don't you argue. Hermione's staying with us too. First, we have just have to...have to..."

Harry was startled as she suddenly burst into tears. Ginny launched herself at her mother and held her tight, as they both cried. Harry left mother and daughter to comfort each other and moved over to his two best friends. Words were unnecessary after all they had been through together; they each knew exactly what the other's were feeling. With the looks that Ron and Hermione gave him, he could tell they understood that he wanted to say how grateful he was for them sticking by his side. He also knew that they didn't want to hear it, but he didn't think he'd be able to form the words at this time. As if reading each other's mind, all three of them closed in and hugged each other, assuring them that they were finally safe and still alive. They would get through this, together. Like they always had.


End file.
